Automatic temperature-controlling device for incubators



Dec. 11, 192s. V 1,694,513

P. S. MARTIN AUTOMATIC TEMPERATURE CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR INCUBATORS Original Filed Sept. 23. 1920 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dee. l1, I

MT ltiqldwll PERRY'STOVER MARTN, 0F HARRISONBURG, VIRGINIA.

AUTOMATC TEIQIPERATRE-CONTRGLLING DEVICE FOR NCUBATORS.

Application filed September 23, 1920, Serial No. 412,258. Renewed August 11, 1926,

The invention relates more specically to compartments being provided with the usual primary temperature controlling devices such trayl 3, which is slidably mounted upon as are useful in connection with multiple supporting guides 4. The structure is 1ncompartment incubatore and the like of the ternally heated by means of a longitudinally `60 5 type shown in Patent No. 1,283,402, for the running bank of pipe coils 5 connected at purpose of maintaining automatically, a pre` their ends by manifolds (i, which are in turn determined average uniform temperature communicative with the heater through flow about the eggs throughout the incubation pipes 7. ,'lhcse manifolds lare located in sep@Y period. arate auxiliary chambers at the ends of the 65 Heretofore in attempting to maintain an incubator structure, one of such chambers unvarying incubation temperature at the egg being shown at 8 in the illustration. l/Vithin level in multiple compartment incubators emthe chamber 8 at a level corresponding to that ploying hot water as a heating medium, it of the egg trays, is mounted athermostat 10, has generally been the custom to maintain the supported by a bracket 11, and Which is op- 7o temperature of the water constant, either by erative upon a multiplying lever 12 fulcrumed means of regulators of the expansion tank 13 to said bracket. To the outer end of type, or by thermostats directly interposed in the lever 12 is pivotally connected a rod 15, l the circulating system. I have found that which extends to the exterior through the top this principle of operation is faulty since in of the incubator, and actuates an arm 16,

order to maintain the proper incubation tempivoted at 17. To one extremity of `said arm perature against the modifying influence of is connected a rod 1S, which supports at its changes in the outside atmosphere surroundlower end, the damper disk 19 of the heater' ing the incubator, it is necessary that the tem- 20. Upon the opposite extremity of the arm perature of the heating medium be either 16 is mounted an adjustable weight 21 use- B0 raised or lowered in compensating for such ful a counterbalance, so as to necessitate external changes. Accordingly, regulators very little effort on the part of the thermoMk of the above type could not be absolutely restat in effecting movement of the arm. In lied upon Without continual readjustment, order that the leverage system subject to the thus necessitating constant care and alertness thermostat may be set so as to function at 85 on the part of the operative. any predetermined temperature, the connec- The object of my invention is to overcome tion between the rod 15 and the lever 16 is these ditliculties, and this I accomplish by preferably made adjustable,tliis being acautomatically controlling the functioning of coniplished by means' of a thumb nut 22, the heater associated with the incubator in which has threaded engagement with the rod 9o such manner as to effect increases or decreases end. The. damper of the heater is operative in the temperature of the heatino' medium in the interspace 25 between a check draft complementarily to changes in the. external opening 26, which communicates directly atmosphere so that an average unvarying inwith the exterior, and a main draft opencubation temperature is positively maining 27, which communicates directly with 95 40 tained about the eggs within the incubator, the flue 28 when the opening 26 is completely the precise incubation temperature in each closed. 1n all other respects, the heater herecompartment of the incubator being regulated in .illustrated is similar to that Shown and by individual controlling devices. described in U. S. Patent, No. 1,236,731,

The advantages of my invention will begranted me under date of August 14e, 1917, 10o

come readily apparent from the detailed deand hence need not be further detailed herein.

scription which follows. in operation, any external temperature In the. drawing, 1 have illustrated more or changes tending to effect thegeneralpredeterless diagrammatically, a portion of an incumined temperature within the incubator will bator together with an associated hot water immediately influence the thermostat 10. 105

heater conveniently illustrating my invention. This will accordingly cause ythe shifting of The incubator herein represented and desthe damper disk 19 of the heater so that its ignated comprehensively by the Anumeral 1, draft is either increased or reduced and the is of a multiple compartment type. comprising water of the system correspondingly raised a number of separate incubation compartor lowered to automatically meet th-e contin- 11o ments 2 which, as clearly suggested, are argene-y. The thermostat 10, on account of its ranged as a horizontal series, each of said being located 'within the incubator at the` egg level is subject only to conditions which aiect the temperature at said level. Furthermore, in vieW of the complete isolation of the chamber 8, the thermostat lO is af'- fee-ted only by general temperature conditions lWithin the incubator and not directly by local conditions obtaining in any one ot the various incubation compartments.

From the above, it Will be seen that the temperature of the heating medium is so controlled as toproduce the correct incubation temperature at the egg level, instead of being maintained at a fixed point irrespective of the temperature at the egg level as heretotore practiced.

In the claims, I have employed the terms master temperature controlling device in distinguishing from the individual type of regulator ordinarily used in the various in- ;ubation compartment for controlling local temperature conditions only.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: Y

l. The combination With an incubator having associated therewith a heater, and compris/ing a multiplicity of separate incubator 2. The combination with a multiple com-y partment incubator heated by a system of hot Water pipes connected to an associated heater, of an auxiliary chamber for the accomodation of the manifolds of said pipes, a primary temperature controlling device located at the egg level Within said auxiliary chamber, said device comprising a thermostat and a coordinated multiplying leverage adapted to govern the draft ot the heater and thereby f automatically control the temperature oit the heating medium.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Harrisonburg Va., this ysexfenteenth day or' September, 1920.

PERRY STGVER MARTIN. 

